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Ruffhowse

(1,442 posts)
Mon Jun 18, 2012, 11:37 PM Jun 2012

New Trade Agreement is NAFTA on steroids-leaked preliminary draft looks very bad

Looks like multi-national corporations are getting away with murder in trade deals again. Check out details of leaked preliminary TPP documents at link. Australia was smart enough to bail on this, the US, not so smart, unless we raise hell before it is signed.

http://www.citizen.org/documents/Leaked-TPP-Investment-Analysis.pdf




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New Trade Agreement is NAFTA on steroids-leaked preliminary draft looks very bad (Original Post) Ruffhowse Jun 2012 OP
public citizen is a very good national, nonprofit consumer advocate group lunasun Jun 2012 #1
The pending wage-lowering, let's-send-more-jobs-to-foreign-countries is supported by Rmoney AnotherMcIntosh Jun 2012 #2
Yes. UnrepentantLiberal Jun 2012 #14
K&R & thanks inna Jun 2012 #3
Who says the Republicans and Democratic administrations can't agree? newthinking Jun 2012 #4
+1 leftstreet Jun 2012 #8
+2 Egalitarian Thug Jun 2012 #10
Yes, Our "Leadership" is on it (married to the Chamber of Commerce) Dragonfli Jun 2012 #11
Initially, it appeared that Senator Wyden (D-Ore) was at the forefront. AnotherMcIntosh Jun 2012 #15
So. Whose office do we have to take over to get the point across? Scootaloo Jun 2012 #5
That would be the Oval Office. limpyhobbler Jun 2012 #13
Spam deleted by tjwmason (MIR Team) Matthew66 Jun 2012 #6
We cannot compete... awoke_in_2003 Jun 2012 #7
Remember when Obama was campaigning he promised to sign a free trade treaty for the Pacific area? limpyhobbler Jun 2012 #9
See post #11 /nt Dragonfli Jun 2012 #12
It would appear that both parties have reached a national consensus on trade Freddie Stubbs Jun 2012 #17
All the corporate whores have reached a consensus. How shocking. limpyhobbler Jun 2012 #18
Du rec. Nt xchrom Jun 2012 #16

lunasun

(21,646 posts)
1. public citizen is a very good national, nonprofit consumer advocate group
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 12:40 AM
Jun 2012

You can always donate to them......
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
https://secure.citizen.org/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=6096

Contribute $40 or more and we’ll send you a DVD of The Story of Citizens United v. FEC. Contribute $100 or more and choose one of these DVDs as well: An Unreasonable Man, Battle in Seattle, The Cove, The 11th Hour, Erin Brockovich or Sicko.
===============================================================================================================
I am glad they are working on this and got this leak out but what it alerts us to is not so good and US is the real push for outside foreign investors having a big hand in the pot

 

AnotherMcIntosh

(11,064 posts)
2. The pending wage-lowering, let's-send-more-jobs-to-foreign-countries is supported by Rmoney
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 01:06 AM
Jun 2012

and, of course, the Chamber of Commerce:

Trans-Pacific negotiations have been taking place throughout the Obama presidency. The deal is strongly supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the top lobbying group for American corporations. Obama's Republican opponent in the 2012 presidential elections, Mitt Romney, has urged the U.S. to finalize the deal as soon as possible.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/13/obama-trade-document-leak_n_1592593.html

Is this unstoppable?

newthinking

(3,982 posts)
4. Who says the Republicans and Democratic administrations can't agree?
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 01:16 AM
Jun 2012

They sure can when it comes to trade proposals....

So who is representing the people in this arena?????

 

AnotherMcIntosh

(11,064 posts)
15. Initially, it appeared that Senator Wyden (D-Ore) was at the forefront.
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 04:32 AM
Jun 2012

On May 23, as the the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness responsible for overseeing US Trade negotiations, he

introduced legislation to require the Executive Branch to allow his staff and members of Congress with appropriate clearance to have access to information otherwise being made available to "the paid representatives of PHRMA, Halliburton and the Motion Picture Association" regarding the latest free-trade agreement being negotiated between the US and eight Asian-Pacific countries.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002723257

More details can be found at the link.

As he said at the time,
"My intent is to do everything I can to see that this legislation is advanced quickly and becomes law, so that elected Members of Congress can do what the Constitution requires and what their constituents expect."
http://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/blog/post/iycmi-wyden-statement-introducing-congressional-oversight-over-trade-negotiations-act

Since that time, however, it's difficult to see that any action is being taken. His web site focuses upon other issues and does not call the attention of vistors to the his Bill and the fact that "the majority of Congress is being kept in the dark as to the substance of the TPP negotiations, while representatives of U.S. corporations – like Halliburton, Chevron, PHRMA, Comcast, and the Motion Picture Association of America – are being consulted and made privy to details of the agreement." The search function for his web site also does not appear to pull up related information.
http://www.wyden.senate.gov/

In addition, his Bill has not be referred to a Committee. The govtrack web site projects that the Bill has less than a 5% chance of being enacted.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/112/s3225

It is possible that his Bill simply died.
 

Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)
5. So. Whose office do we have to take over to get the point across?
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 02:17 AM
Jun 2012

Or were we just going to talk about it and listen to some Wavy gravy?

limpyhobbler

(8,244 posts)
9. Remember when Obama was campaigning he promised to sign a free trade treaty for the Pacific area?
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 03:17 AM
Jun 2012

Me neither.

He said he would include labor and environment in trade negotiations.

A total lie.

This is on top of crappy trade deals with Columbia, Panama, S. Korea.

Obama and Romney have nearly identical positions on this issue.
It's actually worse when Democrats do this because it silences many of the people who would be the most vocal opponents. It turns the Dems into just "GOP Junior" or something.

We shouldn't stand for this. We should put human needs ahead of corporate profits.
This trade deal is an attack on the American middle class.

It is at least as important as the Wisconsin governor recall election. I think a lot more important.

We really ought to fight this.

In 20 years of voting I've never voted for anything besides a Democrat. If the President joins the Republicans to pass this without protections for human rights, worker rights, environment, and democracy, I'm not voting for that anymore.

Freddie Stubbs

(29,853 posts)
17. It would appear that both parties have reached a national consensus on trade
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 07:47 AM
Jun 2012

Although the rhetoric is different between the two parties, the outcome is similar.

limpyhobbler

(8,244 posts)
18. All the corporate whores have reached a consensus. How shocking.
Tue Jun 19, 2012, 10:59 AM
Jun 2012

Oops they forgot to check with the American people before reaching a consensus.

Trade without an ethical component is nothing but exploitation.

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